General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon for Venezuela

Last revised March 30, 2000

In May of 1982, the government of Venezuela signed an agreement to buy
18 Block 15 OCU F-16As and six Block 15 OCU F-16Bs to replace the fleet of
Mirage III interceptors and Mirage 5 ground-attack aircraft serving
with the Fuerza Aerea Venezolana. This purchase was under the Peace
Delta Foreign Military Sales program. This purchase took a long time
to be approved, because the US government wanted to sell Venezuela the
F-16/79 instead. However, in 1983, the US government finally approved
the sale of the F100-powered F-16 to Venezuela, and the first aircraft
was accepted for the FAV in September of 1983.

The FAV F-16s equip Groupo Aereo de Caza No. 16 "Dragones", which is based at
El Liberatador air base near Maracay. This group has two squadrons--Escuadron 161
"Caribes" and Escuadron
162 "Gavilanes". The primary role of Escuadron 161 is air defense, the
main armament being the AIM-9L Sidewinder. The F-16s of Esc 162 are
dedicated to the close-support role. FAV F-16s have a drogue 'chute
carried in an extended tailcone, with antennae for RWR and ECM equipment
mounted on the fairing.

The FAV F-16s were involved in the limited coup attempt in November
of 1992, in which they sided with the government forces and were
responsible for at least one aerial kill.

Venezeuela has requested a batch of F-16C/Ds, but the US government has
so far blocked the request, since it considers the FAV's current F-16
force sufficient for the country's defense. Also, the FAV has lost two
F-16s in accidents (9581 and 2179), and is seeking attrition replacements
for these two planes.

The Venezuelan serialling system has always been mysterious and the
numbers seem to defy any logic. However, their identities are known
and are as follows:

Serials of FAV F-16s:

82-1050 General Dynamics F-16A Block 15K Fighting Falcon
built for export to Venezuela (1041)
82-1051/1052 General Dynamics F-16A Block 15L Fighting Falcon
built for export to Venezuela (0051,6611)
82-1053/1055 General Dynamics F-16B Block 15K Fighting Falcon
built for export to Venezuela (1715,2179,9581)
83-1186/1188 General Dynamics F-16A Block 15T Fighting Falcon
built for export to Venezuela as 8900,
0678,3260
83-1189/1191 General Dynamics F-16B Block 15T Fighting Falcon
built for export to Venezuela as 2337,
7635,9583
84-1346/1353 General Dynamics F-16A Block 15U Fighting Falcon
built for export to Venezuela as
7268,9068,8924,0094,6023,4226,5422,
6426
84-1354/1357 General Dynamics F-16A Block 15V Fighting Falcon
built for export to Venezuela as
4827,9864,3648,0220.

Sources:

Combat Aircraft F-16, Doug Richardson, Crescent, 1992.

General Dynamics Aircraft and their Predecessors, John Wegg,
Naval Institute Press, 1990.

The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers,
Orion, 1987.

United States Military Aircraft Since 1909, Gordon Swanborough
and Peter M. Bowers, Smithsonian, 1989.